The Opulent Distraction

I needed milk tonight, and then I discovered that I needed bread. Now that all my little boys are home I am going through food at a little bit quicker rate than when they were in school. The best price for milk and bread is at Costco. So off I went by myself to Costco, which is a treat because it means I get to linger at the book section. But before I got to the books I walked through the electronics section. I'm defiantly an electronics lover. I fixed the computer for Jake tonight and he declared that I was a tech-y!
I checked out the Digital SLR cameras, I have a great one, but they are always making them better. One has this great image stabilizer, oh how I would love to have that. Then I walked on and looked at a 750GB hard drive (I thought the price said $21.95 so I picked it up and saw the price of about $140.00 behind it)..... :o(
Rounding the corner there was more to want, use or just think that you should have. A thought came to mind..............

***But first I must interrupt that thought and tell you what I have been feeding my mind on the lately. Last week I was reading a history overview from some of Devin's homeschool curriculum of last year. Over and over I read about people with their faith in Christ being persecuted for their faith, even by the leaders in the Church. Then I started reading Devin's science material and the first chapter is really a history of science. Most of the major men in science where christian believers and they saw the glory of God in their search for truth in science. Finally,
I have started reading a book by John Piper, "Don't Waste Your Life". You can download it for free here: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/OnlineBooks/ByTitle/1593_Dont_Waste_Your_Life/

The book is about finding your joy in living a life for God's glory. I'm not all the way through the book, but what I am seeing that we are made for God's glory (not our own). It's a large horse pill to swallow. Some parts of the book are hard for me to wrap my mind around. But I can say that I find the most joy, even rapturous joy, when I am in the middle of doing what is glorifying God.

So now back to what came to my mind when I was in Costco........"What if all of this is a distraction?" Let me expound. What if all the stuff that we have before our eyes, the fun things like my sons new Guitar Hero game, and the ipod that plays movies, and the brand new Digital SLR and the new books that I would love to have from Costco are distractions that happily keep me away from what really life is all about? What if the man made stuff is replacing what people used to enjoy, the God made stuff like rivers, trees, birds and flowers. These are the very things that point us to Him. I know that many things of this decade can be used for the glory of God, but my point isn't to say that we should have none of these things. My point is that we work so hard in our lives for things that do not satisfy, things that look like fun but just add more busy to our life and not peace. We all want joy, we all want a full life. God created us with these desires deep within us. The thing is that our joy and our life being full all come from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else is a distraction!

What would be like if all we could hear is the birds singing to God, or the coos of a baby (the infants will praise the Lord). What if we really did smell the flowers and cool off by the running waters of a river. I think that there are people out there that still enjoy what God created.....but I seem to think that main stream man enjoys more of what man has created. I'm just musing here, but it is something to think about. My laptop gives more glory to a tech-head, than do my roses in the front give glory to God.

I know that I am by no means poor. But when I walk through Costco there are so many fun things that I cannot buy, that is not where my money should go. I could get really depressed and go through this whole "Why can't I have more" feeling (I do at times and I have to fight it).

But it is for my joy that I can't have whatever new thing I see and want. It is a greater joy knowing that God has supplied all my needs, and that he wants me to be thankful to him for all that I have. I haven't mastered this yet, it is a life long pursuit for me, but to trust in God brings unimaginable peace and joy! Therefore, I can walk through any store, or browse any website and know that my God shall supply all my needs, according to his riches in glory! If I don't have it, or the means to get it, (not to say that I haven't charged stuff on the credit card that I don't need - another area to work on), I don't have to have it.

Another thing that I have learned as of late, is that I don't need a lot. We are living in a very small house for 5 people. I long for a bigger house and an attached garage and a yard of our own. But we are doing just fine with what we have. The lesson here has come from this small house. I can only fit so much in here. The kitchen is small and I only have so much room to put stuff, so I got rid of the things that I didn't need. Our bedroom doubles as Jeff's home office (which I do not like, but it works). He gets 3/4 of the closet so that he can store work stuff, you can figure out what my part is. The only other storage downstairs in the space under the stairs, and a broom closet in the laundry room. With such limited storage space, I have either donated it to the Goodwill or boxed it up and put it in storage in the garage (that is about 50 feet from the front door). All is good! I don't need a bunch of stuff and truly it is very free-ing!!

To not have stuff sorta lessens the drag on your life.

Now I need to work on the distraction of the computer...................................that one is a big one for me!